The present invention relates generally to a protective vest, and more particularly, to a safety vest assembly having a communication system integrated therein for facilitating communication between the safety vest assembly and a remote transceiver.
It is well known that individuals participating in high risk activities may employ the use of protective clothing to mitigate injury. For instance, police officers and soldiers may wear bulletproof vests, firefighters and oil rig operators may wear fireproof vests, and people working in extremely cold environments may wear clothing to protect them from the extreme temperatures. Furthermore, because of the risk of injury associated with such high risk activities, it may desirable to maintain communication with those individuals in order to know their condition, location or status of completing a project. For example, it may be useful to communicate with a soldier patrolling a hostile environment or a fire fighter located in a burning building.
Communication with individuals located in such extreme conditions has typically been by way of walkie-talkies or telephones. In other words, the individual was generally required to carry a communication device while performing their activity. In many cases, the individual may lose the communication device or damage the communication device by in the course of conducting the high risk activity. Furthermore, individuals are oftentimes required to carry other tools or self-defense items, thereby making it very difficult or impossible to carry the communication device.
Some individuals wore a holster to carry the communication device while performing their activity. However, the added bulk of the walkie-talkie or telephone may inhibit the movement of the individual. In addition, the walkie-talkie or telephone may be exposed while the wearer is performing the high risk activity thereby making the walkie-talkie or telephone vulnerable to failure.
As is apparent from the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a communication device that may be integrated into a user's protective clothing. The present invention addresses this particular need, as will be described in more detail below.